Artwork
The Prayer of the Spinner
The Prayer of the Spinner is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Gerrit Dou. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
This genre painting, created by Gerrit Dou in 1650, focuses on the figure of the spinner accompanied by a dog within the composition.
The Prayer of the Spinner depicts a domestic interior scene centered on a woman operating a spinning wheel. This genre painting, created by Gerrit Dou in 1650, focuses on the figure of the spinner accompanied by a dog within the composition. The work represents a moment of quiet industry and daily life, characteristic of the artist's detailed genre art.
While the title suggests a spiritual dimension to the act of spinning, the visual evidence provided by the sources confirms the presence of the woman, the spinning wheel, and the animal companion as the primary subjects.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1650, The Prayer of the Spinner is an oil painting applied on a wooden panel. The work measures 27.5 cm in height and 28.5 cm in width. Stylistically, it functions as a genre scene depicting a woman operating a spinning wheel, accompanied by a dog.
The composition focuses on these domestic elements to illustrate daily life, characteristic of the artist's approach to genre art during this period.
History & Provenance
Gerrit Dou's The Prayer of the Spinner is dated to 1650. The painting formed part of the holdings assembled by Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine, which passed into the Bavarian State Painting Collections, and it is held today in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. It is recorded with dimensions of 27.5 × 28.5 cm.
Overview
Created circa 1650, The Prayer of the Spinner is an oil painting by Gerrit Dou, a Dutch artist associated with the Leiden fijnschilders. The work measures modestly and is part of the Alte Pinakothek’s collection. It presents a quiet interior scene in which a woman works at a spinning wheel, rendered with the precise, polished detail characteristic of Dou’s genre paintings.
Context
The painting belongs to a period when Dutch artists frequently depicted domestic chores as moral or devotional subjects. Spinning, associated with industry and virtue, often symbolized the diligence of the household. Dou’s work aligns with contemporaneous genre pieces that elevate ordinary tasks to reflections on piety and social order.
Artist & collection
Artist
Gerrit Dou (pronounced; 7 April 1613 – 9 February 1675), also known as Gerard Douw or Dow, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, whose small, highly polished paintings are typical of the Leiden fijnschilders.
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Old Woman Cutting Bread
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Old Woman with a Flower Pot- The Spinner